Tony: Decision to start Danny was a late one

Deadly Danny Graham's double ensured Rovers earned all three points at Walsall at the weekend, but his boss Tony Mowbray admitted the frontman was fortunate to start at the Banks's Stadium.

Danny was dominant against the home defence, notching two goals once more against the Saddlers, the first of which was the 150th of his career.

But speaking afterwards, Mowbray said it was touch and go as to whether the 32-year-old would have been involved in the XI or not - a decision he's delighted that paid off!

"At times we target certain players and on Friday Danny wasn’t going to start," the manager said in honest fashion after the match.

“But we really studied the opposition and worked out he’d be up against another young centre half.

"If you think back to the game at home against them where they had a very young centre half, Danny’s experience, knowledge, use of his body and positional sense was brilliant, we ultimately made the decision to play him in this one.

“It paid off big time for us. I’m always conscious of the next game after the first one and three games in a week for Danny is always difficult for him, certainly since I've been at the football club.

“We made the decision to try and win the next game rather than trying to win it without him. He helps us in both boxes."

It's the first time in five months that Graham has found the back of the net away from home, with his last strike on the road coming at Rochdale in September.

And his manager was thrilled to see his hitman finally break his duck with the double salvo.

“I’m delighted for Danny to see him score away from home," Mowbray added. "If you breakdown his return this season then you’ll see he does score a lot of his goals at home, pretty much every week since December time.

"He does work so hard for the team and he is an exceptional finisher. He’s found it slightly more difficult away from home, but I’m delighted by the way he led the line, really.

“We’ll go again with a long trip to London on Tuesday. They say the weather won’t be the best and we have to be conscious of that."